— AS PREPARED FOR DELIVERY —
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear Ambassadors and Members of the Diplomatic Corps,
Dear friends, partners, and representatives of civil society,
The beautiful video we just watched is a short testimony of Western Balkans Fund’s story, highlighting our achievements through the power of people to people links in our beautiful region, that stand at the core of the Fund’s mission.
Yet, what it could not capture is the feeling of this journey, the trust that guided us and the hope that inspired us over these eight remarkable years.
From a modest beginning, the Western Balkans Fund has grown into something far greater than we ever imagined. What once was a fragile idea has become a living institution.
What once was only a hope has become a reality.
Today, we proudly manage five active grant schemes, opening doors of opportunity across the region, creating bonds of trust where there were divisions, and proving that cooperation is stronger than any obstacle.
In just this past year, 12 projects came to life through the Empowering Regional Cooperation Scheme, bringing together more than 60 partners, building hundreds of partnerships, and touching the lives of thousands.
Behind every number there is a story: a teacher connecting with colleagues across borders, a local community discovering common solutions, a young person realizing that their ideas matter.
Through the 6th and 7th Calls for Proposals 54 projects flourished reaching thousands of beneficiaries across the region. Each of these projects carried forward the spirit of cooperation, turning ideas into action and aspirations into results.
In parallel, together with the European Union, we also launched a unique regional platform of dialogue, a space where experts, activists, and grassroots organizations came together. Not to focus on differences, but to map opportunities, confront challenges, and build a shared vision for deeper integration.
We also advanced two separate Fellowship Schemes, in close partnership with our long-standing friends at the Visegrad Fund, a culmination of eight years of cooperation.
So far, 83 fellows, doctors, PhD candidates and lecturers have crossed regions, conducted research and building bridges of knowledge.
The Swiss Government not only strengthened our institution, but has also given us the stability, the tools, and the confidence to grow. Their contribution has allowed us to serve the region more effectively, and to raise our standards, ensuring that the Fund stands on solid ground as it reaches for even greater impact.
The Embassy of Japan in Albania helped us bring together the largest-ever network of public officials in our region — 11 ministers and 60 mayors, all under one platform.
With the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, we sharpened our focus on cultural and creative industries, empowering hundreds of participants to transform creativity into a force for development.
All of this is already so much more than we envisioned eight years ago. Yet it is still only the beginning. Because the journey of regional cooperation is not measured only through projects or partnerships, it is measured through trust, through understanding, through the willingness to choose common ground over division.
Dear Friends,
As the Foreign Ministers of the WB6 declared, the WBF is “a unique cooperation mechanism and an excellent example of what we can achieve by putting needs before differences in pursuit of a common, overarching goal.”
Encouraged by this recognition, our ambition is clear:
- To forge new partnerships and strengthen the ones we already have.
- To work harder and deliver greater results.
- To ensure that the values of cooperation reach every community, every classroom, every citizen.
Alone we go faster, but together we go further.
Every step we have taken, proves the truth of this wisdom. In every grant awarded, in every dialogue sparked, in every person empowered, we see this truth come alive.
And tonight, we celebrate those who bring this truth to life. For the first time, we are proud to present the WBF Champions of Regional Cooperation Awar. From 12 remarkable projects, three will be recognized this evening.
But this award is not only about recognition. It is about encouragement. It is about multiplying results, inspiring others, and showing that cooperation is not only possible, it’s powerful.
Because, at its heart, regional cooperation is not a technical process. It is a choice.
- A choice of collaboration over conflict.
- A choice of togetherness over division.
- A choice of hope over fear.
The past years have shown us what is possible when we choose wisely.
The years ahead will reveal how much more we can accomplish when we choose cooperation, when we choose unity, and when we choose to walk this path together.
Allow me to conclude by thanking the Open Society Foundations – Western Balkans for standing with us in making this celebration possible. Thank you to our Ministries of Foreign Affairs, or founding partners and steadfast supporters, for their enduring commitment. And thank you to all of you for your trust, your friendship, and for walking this journey of cooperation together.
